The air split like torn silk.
A jagged black seam in the forest shimmered, twisting, groaning as if reality itself hated the thing forcing its way through.
A figure stumbled out — clothes in tatters, hair matted with blood, one arm hanging limp at his side. His crimson eyes burned faintly even through the exhaustion.
Jace Redscale — second son of the Red Dragon Clan — had returned from the Rift.
The jagged tear snapped shut behind him with a deafening boom. Silence fell. Only the faint hiss of wind through dead leaves accompanied his ragged breathing.
He staggered forward, clutching his ribs. The Rift's stench still clung to him — metallic, wrong, heavy with killing intent.
And then, like a voice sliding into his thoughts with the smugness of someone who'd been waiting too long—
"About time you crawled back, meatbag. I was starting to think you'd make my debut in this Realm a posthumous one."
Jace groaned. "Still here, huh?"
"Still here? Buddy, I'm the only reason you are here. You'd be Rift chow without me."
He didn't argue. The System — whatever it truly was — had indeed kept him alive when everything in that place wanted him dead. It had activated in the chaos, whispered advice, even forced his body past its limits.
But it never did anything for free.
"Now that we're back in this backwater Realm," the System drawled, "I've got your first official Quest lined up. Oh, and congratulations — you've officially been tagged as a 'Living Anomaly' in my records. That's a rare title. Mostly because people with it don't live long."
Jace snorted despite the pain. "Can't wait to hear it."
---
Far away — Red Dragon Clan Main Hall
The tournament grounds burned with excitement. Young drakes clashed in bouts of blazing Qi and dragon roars, the crowd roaring for their favorites.
But at the high platform, the mood was far colder.
Lord Rydel, ruler of the Red Dragon Clan, sat on the Dragonbone Throne, golden eyes fixed on the fighting below — but every so often, they flicked toward the empty seat at the side. His second son's seat.
Beside him, Elder Morvak leaned forward, his voice low. "It has been three days, my lord. There has been no word. We must assume…"
Rhydel's gaze snapped toward him, sharp as molten steel. "We assume nothing."
San Redscale was in the arena, his flame-dragon form towering, easily crushing his opponent. Pride radiated from the elders on his side of the family.
Lily Redscale, sat with her hands clenched in her lap, eyes darting toward their father. She'd been told nothing — but she knew something was wrong.
The tension hung like a storm cloud over the clan. But the Imperial Heaven Sect entrance trials loomed only weeks away, and every clan — every race — would be sending their best. The tournament to decide their Red Dragon representatives could not stop for one missing son.
---
Back in the forest
Jace dragged himself to a fallen log, collapsed against it, and let the cold wind bite at his skin.
"Alright, let's hear it," he muttered.
The System's voice brightened like a merchant about to sell a cursed artifact.
"First Quest: Crash the Imperial Heaven Sect's entrance trials and secure a place… without officially being invited."
Jace blinked. "Without—what?"
"Your oh-so-beloved clan is assuming you're dead. They're not reserving a spot for you. Which means you're either in that Sect by your own power… or you're stuck watching your oh-so-perfect brother bask in glory while you rot in obscurity."
Jace's jaw tightened. "And the reward?"
"+2 Cultivation Stages, one Unbound Skill Scroll, and… a little surprise."
"And the penalty?"
"Permanent lockout from certain growth functions. Translation: you'll hit a ceiling so hard, your great-grandkids will feel it."
---
The world beyond the Rift tasted like ash. Jace staggered forward, every breath searing his lungs, boots crunching over blackened soil. The sky was a bleeding tapestry of sunset, the clouds like torn banners drifting toward some far horizon. Behind him, the Rift's twisted vortex folded shut with a low growl, leaving him alone in the quiet.
Alone—except for the voice.
"Fine. I accept," he muttered through gritted teeth.
"Excellent. Quest Accepted. Timer starts… now."
A golden panel slid into view before his eyes:
---
[Main Quest: Imperial Crash]
Objective: Enter the Imperial Heaven Sect trials without invitation.
Time Limit: 13 days.
Reward: +2 Cultivation Stages, Unbound Skill Scroll, ???
Penalty: Severe Growth Restriction.
---
The gold dissolved into a deeper, pulsating crimson, lines of runes curling like dragon tails.
---
[Devouring Dragon System Online]
(Main Function) : [Absorb the essence of defeated beings to increase cultivation.]
(Special Ability): [Dragon Ancestral Devouring Art — a forbidden technique capable of consuming Qi, bloodlines, and divine cores.]
---
[Devouring Dragon System — Status]
Cultivation: Foundation Stage (Early)
Bloodline: Red Dragon (Dormant) → Devouring Dragon (Stage 2)
Skills:
• Devour Essence (Lv.1) — Consume Qi and life essence from living or dead targets.
• Ancestral Flame Embryo — A flame seeded in the bloodline, evolving with devoured power.
---
"For someone who barely crawled out of the Rift alive," the System chuckled, "you've got a pretty juicy set of tools now. Imagine what you could do if you stopped whining and started feeding me."
"Feed you?" Jace scanned the treeline ahead. The forest was dense, shadows stretching long under the dying sun. "You mean kill something."
"That's the idea. Preferably something that bleeds."
Before he could answer, a low growl drifted through the trees. Jace tensed, hand hovering near the short blade strapped to his thigh. From the undergrowth, two sets of eyes gleamed—then a hulking wolf-like beast slunk into view, black fur bristling, fangs dripping venom.
"Great. Banewolves. Because normal wolves weren't ugly enough."
The Banewolf lunged. Jace sidestepped, the beast's claws slicing the air where he had stood. His body moved on instinct, trained reflexes from years under his father's brutal sparring sessions. He slashed the blade across its flank, but the creature barely slowed, snarling in rage.
"Use the skill."
"What—now?"
"NOW."
Jace gritted his teeth, focusing on the flickering icon pulsing in the corner of his vision.
[Skill Activated: Devour Essence]
A sudden pull—like a whirlpool opening in his chest—dragged the Banewolf's Qi toward him. The beast howled, thrashing violently, as threads of glowing energy ripped free from its body, spiraling into Jace's core. His veins burned with molten fire, his breath coming in ragged bursts.
The Banewolf collapsed, eyes glassy, body withering like a husk.
---
[Essence Acquired: +12 Qi Units]
[Bloodline Resonance: +1% Devouring Dragon Awakening]
---
Jace exhaled, the world around him suddenly sharper, brighter. The Ancestral Flame Embryo in his blood pulsed, a faint ember sparking in his veins.
He grinned. "Alright, maybe I can work with this."
---
Meanwhile — Red Dragon Clan Main Hall
The grand hall was lit in crimson firelight, the Red Dragon Clan emblem—a roaring dragon wreathed in flame—hanging above the dais. Clan Leader Rhydel Redscale stood at its center, his golden eyes cold as he surveyed the gathered elders.
"He's gone?" Rhydel's voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of a hammer strike.
The elder bowed low. "We… we cannot locate Young Master Jace anywhere in the eastern territories. His aura vanished three days ago."
Across the hall, Jace's older brother, San, smirked faintly. "Perhaps he finally ran from responsibility."
Beside him, their younger sister Lily stiffened. "San, that's not fair—"
"It doesn't matter." Rhydel's tone cut through their words. "The selection tournament for the Imperial Heaven Sect will proceed. If Jace is fool enough to vanish before the trials, he will simply be left behind."
A murmur rippled through the elders. Everyone knew the Imperial Heaven Sect accepted only the most gifted. Losing one of the clan's heirs before the trials was a blow to prestige. But Rhydel's expression gave no room for argument.
---
Back in the Forest
Jace dragged the Banewolf's corpse into the underbrush, wiping his blade clean. He could already feel the Devouring Dragon System stirring in satisfaction.
"You've tasted your first kill with me," it whispered. "It won't be your last. The trials ahead will be rivers of blood, and I will make you a god among them."
Jace looked toward the mountains, where the spires of the Imperial Heaven Sect were said to pierce the clouds. Somewhere up there, San and Lily would be walking into the selection arena. Somewhere up there, the clans would measure their heirs like cattle.
He tightened his grip on the blade. "Fine. Let's crash their little gathering."
The forest thickened as Jace moved north. Every step was measured—Banewolves were one thing, but humans were always worse. His father had taught him long ago: beasts kill to eat; men kill for everything else.
The wind shifted.
His hand froze mid-step. There—faint as a ghost—was the scent of oiled steel.
A whisper of motion above.
Jace rolled sideways just as a thin blade whistled down from the trees, biting into the ground where his skull had been. The attacker landed lightly—clad in midnight robes stitched with faint silver runes. A half-mask hid their mouth, but the eyes above it gleamed with quiet amusement.
"You're far from home, little dragon," the figure said, voice smooth, almost polite.
"I get that a lot," Jace replied, straightening. "And you are?"
The assassin tilted their head. "One who makes sure the wrong people don't reach the right places." The blade spun once in their hand. "Unfortunately for you, the Imperial Heaven Sect doesn't want uninvited guests."
"System," Jace whispered in his mind, "mark target."
---
[Target Locked: Human Cultivator — Qi Condensation Stage (Early)]
Threat Level: Moderate
Recommended Action: Strike first, devour fast.
---
Jace lunged, aiming a low slash. The assassin parried effortlessly, countering with a flurry of precise cuts that drove him back. They were fast—faster than the Banewolf—but lacked its raw power. This was a duel of skill, and Jace was still riding the heat of the Qi he'd stolen.
"Too slow," the assassin said, and a sudden kick sent him stumbling. The blade came for his neck.
Jace dropped low, sweeping his leg. The assassin staggered. He didn't waste the opening.
[Skill Activated: Devour Essence]
The pull was immediate, invisible tendrils snaring the assassin's Qi. Their eyes widened in shock as the energy bled from their body, feeding into Jace like molten fire.
"What—what are you—?"
"Hungry."
The assassin tried to wrench free, slashing wildly, but their movements faltered as their strength drained away. Jace's blade found the gap beneath their ribs, driving in deep. They gasped once, then fell limp, essence pouring into him until nothing remained but a cooling corpse.
---
[Essence Acquired: +28 Qi Units]
[Bloodline Resonance: +3% Devouring Dragon Awakening]
[Skill Level Up: Devour Essence Lv.2 — Increased absorption rate and range.]
---
Jace straightened, breath ragged, his pulse thundering in his ears. His skin tingled, muscles humming with the rush of stolen power.
"You learn quickly," the System purred. "Your kind usually hesitates with human kills. I'm glad you don't."
"They would've killed me," Jace muttered, wiping his blade. "Hesitation is for people who can afford it."
He rifled through the assassin's belongings, finding a folded map. The parchment was marked with red ink—routes leading toward the Imperial Heaven Sect's outer gates. Several names were written beside each route. His own wasn't there, of course… but San's and Lily's were.
Jace's grip on the map tightened. "Looks like the Sect's not just watching the trials—they're controlling who survives to even show up."
"Then survive better," the System said. "Feed me enough, and the gates you can't walk through… you'll burn down instead."
Jace tucked the map away, stepping over the assassin's corpse. The forest thinned ahead, opening toward the faint glow of a distant valley.
Somewhere in that direction, his siblings were walking into the lion's den.
Somewhere in that direction, the Imperial Heaven Sect was deciding who mattered.
And Jace intended to show them exactly how wrong they were.
---
[Quest Progress Updated]
Imperial Crash — 0.5% Completion
------
TO BE CONTINUED